Builds Stretched 1-Ton FJ40 (18 Viewers)

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matzell said:
I would go with 12's. If you over flex your springs you have a chance of them breaking. They are only designed to stretch so far. I broke a front leaf on my 85 4runner on tons from overflexing it. I put limit straps on after that. Toyota springs were never meant to carry that much unsprung weight, 250 lb vs 500 lb axles. Over flexing can lead to a tire dropping into a whole rather than carrying the tire over it. My race car has 14" travel shocks and is linked all the way around. My friend put 16" travel springs on his FJ60 and it leans over way too much and flopped on its side once. I like a little less travel and control rather than riding in a slinky!
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I'll second this suggestion. On the Oliver build, I had to redo the front packs three separate times due to over-flexing the front leafs (broken main leafs was the result).
On the Bastard, I used a 12" travel shock and had plenty of droop and uptravel.
 
Good morning. Don't let those leaf springs fool you guys. They are part of the initial build from 1999. The leaf springs are holding the Cruiser up over the axles at the moment while I build the rest. I might leave the rear leaf springs in place for a few years after it's back on the road but the plan is to link the front with coilovers. If you look closely you will see that I don't have the left leaf spring perch welded to the front axle.

It sounds like the 12 - 14" travel shock for the front is the most preferred. I think that I can fit a 12" shock with the Ballistic brackets. I'll make the decision later today.
 
I'd realllyyyyy recommend linking all of it now if you can. You will thank yourself later, and you can also make all the adjustments to the tub to fit the rear coil overs now.
 
Mike Shull said:
@DangerNoodle, you aren't giving up are you! :). I might reconsider prior to installing/painting the tub. Just for you of course.
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Nope, cause I'm currently suffering from the decision to only link one end... I really do wish that I did it all at one time, since I could have modified my tub / frame a lot more before final paint. Now I'm pretty stuck where I get to mount my stuff, which makes it a pretty big headache.

I have a feeling you will get to the same spot as me pretty quickly after you get it running.
 
Update: I've decided to sell the FJ40 and purchase a CJ8. Your advice has been much appreciated and I realized that building Land Cruisers is just too addicting. I need something that I don't enjoy as much and I am more inclined to neglect a Jeep. It's just a personal preference thing.

2022-23 Budget.PNG
Back to reality, and if you don't know me that well, the above would never happen. I've crunched the numbers this morning in order to reprioritize my build process a bit. Thank you all for your input this week. @DangerNoodle may especially be happy to learn that I've reprioritized the suspension for 2022. Paint and final touches have been moved to 2023. Attached is a snapshot of what to expect over the next two years.

Do you sense a little lean manufacturing here? I just can't help it...single piece flow is on track. Just in time delivery? I am still working on that one =D

This forum is amazing BTW. I joined in 2005 and I took a break from around 2009 - 2021. I started my build three months before I climbed back on this forum and I am very thankful for doing that. Whenever I am stuck, it doesn't seem to take much time to refocus with your help! I am sure that I am missing some folks here, so please chime in. A huge thanks to the following:

  • @mr jits, @matzell, @DangerNoodle, @EWheeler : You four are an amazing wealth of knowledge and I have appreciated the apposing views, critiques and advice that you all have offered
  • @Broski : Your D60 C questions actually allowed me to pause and rethink front-end alignment, which is when I started reassessing the timing of my front 4-link setup
  • @afraptor22 : Thank you for offering LS assistance. I can't wait to hear this thing run!
  • @TacoMarv : I might have had a leaky NV4500 if you hadn't stopped by!
  • @GLTHFJ60 : Thanks for offering advice on steel dimensions. You may have prevented what was about to be the longest search for pieces that don't exist in the US
  • @Tank5: A huge thanks for donating part of your home project to me. Every time I look at my frame extension I think about the customized table that they were once slated to be. Thanks again for sacrificing your project so that I could recover from a 1" cut mistake!
 
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You had me there for a sec. I'm currently trying to sell my drivetrain to stick in an auto and something shorter, just so I can fit an effective link system for my rear. I'm glad I can save someone else from making the same mistakes I made.
 
DangerNoodle said:
You had me there for a sec. I'm currently trying to sell my drivetrain to stick in an auto and something shorter, just so I can fit an effective link system for my rear. I'm glad I can save someone else from making the same mistakes I made.
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If I remember correctly from reading your build thread, aren't you running an NV4500 like me? What transfer case are you running? I am hoping that my frame extension provides enough space in the rear for my drivetrain and suspension. We will find out soon!
 
Mike Shull said:
If I remember correctly from reading your build thread, aren't you running an NV4500 like me? What transfer case are you running? I am hoping that my frame extension provides enough space in the rear for my drivetrain and suspension. We will find out soon!
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383, NV4500, Toybox, Splitcase. I'd love to have your frame dimensions since it would fit perfectly. Another 14" would be more than enough to fit my current driveline.
 
DangerNoodle said:
383, NV4500, Toybox, Splitcase. I'd love to have your frame dimensions since it would fit perfectly. Another 14" would be more than enough to fit my current driveline.
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The frame extension is one of my favorite parts. I am hoping that I won't need to reposition my original crossmember to work with the Atlas. Wouldn't most automatics be longer than the NV4500? Maybe not with the addition of the adapter?
 
Mike Shull said:
The frame extension is one of my favorite parts. I am hoping that I won't need to reposition my original crossmember to work with the Atlas. Wouldn't most automatics be longer than the NV4500? Maybe not with the addition of the adapter?
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They should be about the same length. The doubler and split case makes my drivetrain long.
 
Mike Shull said:
@EWheeler, here are the ORIs in action:
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I'd be interested to see how those do for prolonged periods of higher speed on rougher terrain. I would think that not having a res or a major cooling area would cause fade pretty quickly, but who knows.
 
I also wonder how hot they get, @DangerNoodle. From what I am reading, the strut appears to have cooling coils wrapped around the body, which I initially though those were just for looks. I drive this Cruiser on the highway for long distances and I would want to know what kind of mileage that I can get from a set before needing some sort of maintenance. Still investigating and I am open to thoughts/comments.
 
Mike Shull said:
I also wonder how hot they get, @DangerNoodle. From what I am reading, the strut appears to have cooling coils wrapped around the body, which I initially though those were just for looks. I drive this Cruiser on the highway for long distances and I would want to know what kind of mileage that I can get from a set before needing some sort of maintenance. Still investigating and I am open to thoughts/comments.
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if you aren't hitting a lot of whoops / rocks at a higher pace, I wouldn't worry. I can get my coilovers pretty warm, partly due to the reservoirs being somewhat close to the exhaust, and I like to go fast if I can (big reason why I want to link my rear). I never get them so hot I can't touch them, but that is with a full remote res King 2.0. I don't know how the limited oil capacity of the ORIs would do with something like that. Probably worth calling a dealer if you are interested in them to see if they would have any concerns. Normal road driving with slower crawling, I wouldn't worry at all.

@matzell probably knows a lot more than me.
 
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For mild wheeling or road driving I do not think I would worry about resevoirs. You will not cycle the suspension fast and far enough to need them, it will take away from some street cred. High speed off road you will use the whole length of the shock and create a lot more heat.
 
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